The Wildlife Challenge invites students to awaken their natural curiosity and reminds us all that nature isn’t limited to reserves and national parks—it thrives all around us. Through students’ inquisitive eyes, we’ll discover the rich biodiversity that surrounds us: from lizards sunbathing on stones and birds nesting in trees, to insects living in the cracks of concrete.
The Wildlife Challenge uses iNaturalistone of the world’s leading citizen science platforms for documenting wildlife observations. During the challenge, students will learn how to use the platform and understand its contribution to science and conservation. Students will use the iNaturalist app to report species they find around their school. Their observations will be uploaded automatically to a special page created for their school and counted as part of a friendly competition between schools. Categories include: highest number of species recorded, rare species, and interesting sightings. The school that records the most species will win a prize from the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History! All participating schools will receive a certificate of participation.
The challenge takes place throughout the month of March, coinciding with World Wildlife Day, celebrated annually on March 3.
To participate in the challenge, teachers must register in advance: Teachers will guide their students in using the app, monitor the quality of their observations, and lead classroom discussions about the findings and their ecological significance.
Teachers will also receive detailed instructions on how to use iNaturalist, support student participation in the challenge, and access lesson plans covering biodiversity, citizen science, and conservation.
